# Problem with Breakpoint/IRB

**URL:** <https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-with-breakpoint-irb/112360>\
**Category:** Ruby\
**Created:** [August 17, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-with-breakpoint-irb/112360 "2007-08-17T21:25:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2007, 9:25pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-with-breakpoint-irb/112360/1 "2007-08-17T21:25:33Z")

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When I insert a breakpoint in my Ruby code, I am unable to see  
local\_variables:

prompt\> local\_variables  
=\> [“id”, “block”, “\_”]

I am running ruby 1.8.6 (2007-03-13 patchlevel 0) [i686-darwin8.9.1]  
and found this issue posted about Ruby 1.8.5  
[http://rubyforge.org/tracker/?group\_id=559&atid=2228&func=detail&aid=4897](http://rubyforge.org/tracker/?group_id=559&atid=2228&func=detail&aid=4897).  
I appear to have the same issue, but according to RubyForge, the issue  
has a status of “deleted”.

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks,  
Tom

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@casper\_the\_ghost](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/casper_the_ghost)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2007, 8:07am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/problem-with-breakpoint-irb/112360/2 "2007-08-18T08:07:23Z")

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Hello Tom,

I recently was playing around with the debugger, and had some  
problems, too. What helped a lot, was step 2):

1. run debugger;
2. set the first breakpoint to the first line of your code;
3. c[ontinue] -\> debugger should break at your first line;
4. delete this first breakpoint and set your desired breakpoints,  
maybe even some disp’s;
5. c(ontinue) -\> debugger should break at your desired points;
6. v(ar) l(ocal)

I’m on Windows, ruby 1.8.5.

- Axel  
( axel o friedrich\_smail A T gmx o de )